Closure for liquid containers



Jan. 9, 1934. M. KLuscH @42,714

CLOSURE FOR LIQUID CONTAINERS Filed April 19', 1932 242 24 #A27 Fig' 27 Fly. 6

Z4 5/ 7 jm/m41 haz Z6 M/flwm met@ Patented Jan. 9, 1934 UNITED STATES PATSEN FFCE 4 Claims.

My invention relates to closures or caps for liquid containers, and more particularly for the usual standard milk or cream bottles, and the caps being constructed and arranged for opera- 5 tion when placed on the bottles so that the bottles may be opened for pouring and again closed.

The usual milk bottle comprises a shell usually made of glass, and having a single opening or mouth formed therein, and through which the milk is introduced into or poured from the bottle.

The usual milk bottle mouth is formed with an enlarged internal tubular surface at its eX- tremity which is connected by an annular ledge or seat with inner tubular surfaces of the bottle shell.

The usual closure for the mouth of the bottle comprises a cap of impregnated pulp or ber board.

Such caps are inserted into the enlarged extremities of the mouths and seated upon the ledges of successive bottles from a stack of the caps by operation in most instances of a bottle capping machine.

Caps heretofore available and intended to be constructed and arranged so that the bottles supplied with the caps may be opened for pouring andagain closed, have been unsatisfactory, for a number of reasons.

In some cases, such opening and closing caps have not permitted the proper flow of milk or liquid from the bottles when the parts of the caps have been placed in the open positions.

In other cases, such opening and closing caps have not been adapted for use in standard bottle capping machines, by reason of excessive thickness of the caps.

In most cases, the parts of such opening and closing caps have not been arranged for convenient and easy use on the bottles, particularly by children.

The objects of the present improvements are in general to overcome the foregoing disadvantages, and include, accordingly, the provision of a novel opening and closing cap for liquid containers such as milk bottles, the construction and arrangement of the cap being such that when the parts thereof are placed in the open position the liquid will flow freely from the container.

Further objects of the improvements include the provision of a novel opening and closing cap, stacks of which may be placed in a standard .bottle capping machine for successively capping bottles by the usual operation of the machine.

Further objects of the improvements include the provision of a novel opening and closing cap which is arranged .for convenient and easy use on the bottle, and which is at the same time eective as a closure when the parts of the cap are placed in the closed position after the bottle has been opened one or more times by operation of the cap. Y

The foregoing and other. objects 'are attained by the improvements, apparatus, parts, combina'- tions', andsub-combinations, which comprise the present invention, and the nature of which is set forth in the following general statement, and preferred embodiments of which, together with their mode of use, are set forth in the following description, and which are particularly and distinctly pointed out and set forth in the appended claims forming part hereof.

The nature of the improved opening and closing-cap or closure of the present invention may be described in general terms as including two intertting members hinge connected with each other and preferably formed integrally from im pregnated pulp or fiber board, and the two members when in their closed positions relativeto each other comprising a, circular closure diskfo'f the same diameter and substantially the same thickness asthe usual cap. e

One of the members comprises a door member which is hinged at its inner straight .end with the other member, which is a notched member.

The outer end face of the door member is arcuateas is also the outer peripheral faceof the notched member, and the arcuate end. face of the door member connects between the eX- tremities of the arcuate peripheral face of the notched member to form an outer circular face forrthe cap as a whole, when the members are in the closed position. y

The side faces of the door member preferably diverge from each other outwardly from the inner hinge end of the door member, and the door `side faces are also preferably Voppositely angled with respect to each other for intertting with the preferably similarlyy angled side faces of the notch of the notched member, which notch side faces extend between the extremities of the arcuate outer face and the straight hinge base of the notch.

y The hinge base of the notch, which as aforesaid is preferably integrally hinge connected with the inner straight end of the door member, -is preferably located so that the depth of the notch with reference to the circumference of the circle of the outer face of the closed cap is substantially two-thirds of the diameter of the circle, whereby when the cap is in use on a container, steady free pouring of the liquid from the container may be effected.

An improved opening and closing lever is provided for the door member and includes a handle tab located on the normally upper face of the door member, the handle tab including at one end one or more hooks which are engaged with the door member preferably at the hinge end thereof, and v thetab andlthe outer end of the hooks extending from therhinge endf of the door member towards the arcuate end thereof.

Preferred embodiments of the: improved closure or cap, and the parts thereof, are illustrated in the accompanying drawingforming partnereof, in which the views are enlarged, and are as follows:

Figure 1 is a top plan `vew.of the improved closure or cap, with the parts thereof in'their relative positions for being applied .tolabottle byoperation of a usual bottle capping machine;

Fig: ;3,z a sectionaltview thereof; as 'on line 3, F1261;

4; a vs'de' view 'thereof looking thefdirectionof vthe 'arrows 4-4, Fig. 1;

Fig- .5,. aA plan view. illustrating the outlinezofa preferred blank "made v1from preferably tinned sheettmetal, rfrom *which* the limproved 4opening `arrdiclosing .lever isl formed;

"-Fig. 6, a similar" view thereof -after a partial 'forming of the lever hooks 'to' ajposition; ready for the I'lever 4to be applied -to Lthe "cap Adoor member.

Fig.A '7, anfelevation view thereofj lookingin the A*direction ofthe "arrowsW-l'l Fig. 6; and

Fig. 8, a fragmentaryverticalsectional-view oftop-port-ions' of a'bottle-inthe mouthof which, oneof "the improved= closures `or V-capsihas been insertedfand the'capparts-being illustrated in "full lines and in "section as on line 8f-8, '-Fig. '1, butl withthetopeningrand "closing" lever' displaced from; its lposition lin`Fig. 1l to: its operatingqposi- ':tion :relative to 'the `door member and :notched `member fof the cap, r`and the rdoor fmember and lever member'being illustrated inbroken lines in their relative positions with-each4 other and `with vthe 'notched member 'after Lfurther movement .of `the lever member-to `open .the door nnember.

Similar Vnumerals refer 'to -`similar parts throughout the! several` views.

' The illustrated embodiment of `the improved iopening an'dclosingl cap or'closureY is indicated generallybyl, and includes two'rnembersv 11A and 12 `preferably *formed integrally from .impreg- Anatedj'pu'lp 'orberrboard `The'rnemberll comprises 1a. door memberhaving a straight inner end 13,-an-arcuate outerend face 514, and ,spaced side 'faces "15 and 16 connectingttheinner end'13 andtheouter end. face 14.

A'.`The "si'defaces 15 and '16 preferably kdiverge from -each other longitudinally and outwardly `from;.the inner end 513to the outer end'face" 14.

"The 'side "faces'15 and .16 are alsooppositely angled with respect :to eachother Atransversely Vofthe cap'10.

The other member 12 of the cap is preferably .a notched member'having an arcuate peripheral `facel?, a notch'baseportion 18 which integrally vconnects with the hinge end 13 ofthe .door mem- `beri1`1 along a straight'hingingline or axis I-I which "determines a..boundary between the connected membersll and 12, and .about which the door member 11'is adaptedto beswung for opening and closing vthe cap.

=sheet metal.

The notched member 12 furthermore includes side faces 19 and 20 extending from the base portion 18 to the ends of the peripheral face 17, the notch side faces 19 and 20 diverging and being angled respectively for intertting with the side faces l5 and 16 of the door member 11, when the members 11 and l2 are in the closed position illustrated in full lines in the drawing.

When the members 11 and 12 are in the closed position, they arcuate end face 1-41'of the door ...membeinll connects between the extremities of the arcuate peripheral face 17 of the notched Vmember 12, and forms an outer circular face for the cap liras-awhole.

The base portion 18 of the notch is preferably zlocated'so that the depth of the notch with ref- .erence to thecircumference of the circle of the outer face of the closed cap is substantially two- `thirds of the diameter of the circle, whereby when the cap is in use cna container, and the door member isopen, steadypouring of theliquid 'fromthe' container may "be' effected.

`The`flat face 21of the'member 11 is'theupper facein use, andthe oppositeflatface22`isthe lowerfaceiin use. 'The'flattfaceill of the door Imerriberill is'theupper face thereof. in usean'd becomes' coeXtensivewith` the flat face 21 of the notchedLrnemberv 12; and'theflat face'22' of the door'member 1l; is thelowerface' thereof in';use,

and becomes Vcceextensive: with ithefflat face'22 ofthe notched member 12,'when the'members are in the 'close'dpositiom The 'door "member "side faces 15 "and 16, r*may be accordingly `described "as `being 'oppositely angled with respect to the. flat faces 21 and122 of the door; member; and' similarly the notch' side faces 19 and20, intertting in the'closed position respectively with the door member side faces`15 and1 16, Amay likewise'be' described' aszbeing' angled with respect to the Aflat upper `and lower faces 2l' and 22 Aof the notched* member.

AAn improvedopeningand closing lever. in'dicated generally by 23, is located non,thenormally ico upper/face vof the door memben Iand the imkproved lever "23 includes `a `iiat,handle^tab 24,

preferably formed of `tin plated relativelythin Atene-corner of one end-of the tab 24, a hook 24-1 is formedyandat the other cornerof the sameend4 of thetab24, a hook 24-2 isv formed.

'The hook 24-1-includes: anapex orbrendportion 25---1,v andV an' outerl end 26-1; `Asimilarly the hook 24-2 includes `an `apexzor bend portion '25-2, and van outer 'end 26-92.

The apex or bend portions of the Ahooks are preferably located in apertures l-which mayj'be 'formedbyforcing the :outer `ends'ofthe hooks through the integral'cap, Whenthehandleis in the semi-finished condition illustratedinLFigs. 6 and 7, after which the outer ends 2S-lare `bent over against the bottomface 22"of"the"d0or ,member 11,-withthe'handle tab 24'lying" against the upper face 21 of `the :door member A11.

The bend or apexportions of'thelever 23` when in place on the `cap 10, arepre'ferably `onthe Yhinging line and'the outer ends {2G-land 26-2 ofthe hooks extendtowardszthe outerend 14 of the doormember, as doestheouterend'f the handle tab 24.

The .lever 23 vis also preferably'formed with a laterally extending stop face 27 located'intermediate the Vhook apex or bend'portions'and the opposite outer end of the tab.

When the cap 10 is 'ready for being applied to abottle, the severalrpartsA of' the capare-pre'ferably arranged in the positions illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4, with the handle tab 24 lying flat against the upper face 21 of the 'door member, whereby successive caps 10 of a stack of the caps may be applied successively to bottles by operation of the usual bottling machine.

In Fig. 8 is illustrated the mouth end 28 of a milk bottle whose mouth is formed in the usual manner with an enlarged internal tubular surface 29 at its extremity, which is connected by an annular ledge or seat 30 with the inner tubular surface 31 of the bottle shell.

One of the improved caps 10 has been inserted upon the seat 30 of the mouth end 28 of the milk bottle in Fig. 8, and the parts of the inserted cap are illustrated in full lines with the opening and closing lever 23 displaced from its position in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4, to its operating position relative to the door member 11 and the notch member 12 of the cap.

The operating position of the lever 23 is attained by pulling upwards on the outer end thereof with the forenger of the user, by which a partial opening of the hooks is effected, and the lever slips downwardly through the hook apertures until the stop face 27 abuts against the upper face 21 of the door member.

Further movement of the handle lever 23 to the position illustrated in broken lines in Fig. 8 serves to open the door member, by lifting action of the hook outer ends 261 and 26-2.

The door member 11 may be opened and closed any usual number of times even when the door member and notch member are integrally formed from pulp or fiber board, and after closing of the door member 11, by reason of the angle arrangement of the side faces 15 and 16 of the door member and the side faces 19 and 20 of the notch, a tight closing seal is effected.

For the purpose of attaining a tight closing seal when the cap members are in the closed position, it has been discovered that when the side faces of the door member make an angle of substantially 20 with a plane vertical with respect to the flat normally upper face, and with the notch side faces similarly angled, the best results are attained.

I claim:

l. A closure for the mouth of a liquid container and the like, including two members connected with each other along a straight hinging line determining a boundary between adjacent portions of the members, one of the members comprising a door member and being adapted for being swung about the hinging line, and an opening and closing lever having a hook at one end, the hook being connected With the door member adjacent the hinging line.

2. A closure for the mouth of a liquid container and the like, including two members connected with each other along a straight hinging line determining a boundary between adjacent portions of the members, one of the members comprising a door member and being adapted for being swung about the hinging line, and an opening and closing lever having a hook at one end, the hook being connected with the door member adjacent the hinging line, and the outer end of the hook extending away from the hinging line and towards the opposite outer end of the door member for exerting upward pressure on the door member to open the same when the lever is manipulated.

3. A closure for the mouth of a liquid container and the like, including two members, one of the members comprising a door member, the other member comprising a notched member and having an arcuate peripheral face and a notch base portion and notch side faces connecting the notch base portion with the extremities of the arcuate peripheral face, the door member having one end hinge connected with the notch base portion and an opposite arcuate outer end face and side faces connecting the hinge end and the arcuate end,1 and the side faces of the door member intertting with the side faces of the notched member when the members are in closed position, the arcuate outer faces of the members when in the closed position determining a circle, and the length of the door member between its arcuate outer end face and the hinge end thereof being substantially two-thirds of the diameter of the circle determined by the members when in the closed position.

4. A closure for the mouth of a liquid container and the like, including two members, one of the members comprising a door member, the other member comprising a notched member and having an outer peripheral face and a notch base portion and notch side faces connecting the notch base portion with the extremities of the outer peripheral face, the door member having one end hinge connected with the notch base portion and an opposite outer end face and side faces connecting the hinge end and the outer end face and the side faces of the door member intertting with the side faces of the notched member when the members are in closed position, the door member having a flat normally upper face, and the side faces of the door member being oppositely angled with respect to each other each at substantially 20 with a plane vertical with respect to the at face, and the similar side faces of the notched member being similarly angled.

MARTIN KLUSCI-I. 

